How to have a successful shopping trip

When walking into a shopping centre and you know you only have today to buy enough clothes to last you the summer, it is easy to get overwhelmed and end up with nothing. So I have compiled a list of tips to help you on your way to a successful shopping trip.

Plan ahead. I think this is essential to keep you on track and buy things you actually do need. I would recommend, a few days before you go, opening up your wardrobe and working out exactly what it is that you need/don’t need. I then like to make list and separate it into ‘need’ and ‘want’, this is helpful to make sure you remember to look for everything and figure out where to spend the most of your budget. Also, figure out which shops you are most likely to buy lots in and plan to go to those places first.

Know your budget. It is very important to know how much money you have to work with. Before you start your day, have a look in your bank account and see how much you have to spend. If payday is coming next week, try and postpone your trip utill after then so you have even more to spend. If you have managed to save a decent amount, don’t feel like you have to spend it all at once, still be on the lookout for a bargain but also identify what you can afford to spend more money on. It is also easy to fall into the trap of just buying things because you can, try and avoid that so you can buy more things you actually want and will wear.

Take your favourite shopping buddy. Now, you can’t just choose anyone you want to take with you. Whoever you choose needs to a. be honest and b. know your style well. If you take somebody with you who can’t bear to tell you if something looks horrible or if you would never actually wear it, you can end up wasting time and money. However, you need to make sure they understand your style because they could end up deterring you from pieces that would actually look great on you.

Be open-minded and try everything on. If you see a piece that slightly scares you or pushes your boundaries, try it on! You have to give everything a go before you can discard it. Pick up and try on everything you see that could be a possibility – you are only trying it on, not buying it so you can easily just put it back on the rails. Even if something looked horrendous, it would still have been worth trying on because you would then know it avoid it in the future and wouldn’t regret not ever trying it. Also, if your shopping buddy suggests something that you don’t like, try it on anyway, you never know, maybe they know you better than you know yourself.

Don’t get discouraged. Sometimes, you can go into your favourite shop and try lots on but come out with nothing. This can make you feel very discouraged and it can put you in a bad mood, so don’t let it! Try to keep in good spirits even if it isn’t going to plan, if you get negative, you might end up not wanting to try other things on so missing out on amazing pieces.

Have fun! Shopping should be fun, so don’t get too serious about buying lots – go for coffee or a nice lunch to break the day up a bit.

Last week I went on a big shopping trip to West Quay, Southampton, I followed these tips and managed to buy my whole summer wardrobe (a haul of what I bought is on the way!). I hope yours will be as successful as mine was!